Stumbling Through History, A Portrait Of The Senate As An Old Man

The Advocate has decided to lead with a story on how Senator Chris Dodd is looking old these days. Funny, I thought newspaper� journalism was supposed to cover things like politics, policy and issues instead of succumbing to the People Magazine subjects of looks, likes and who wore what. But tellingly, buried in the article was this factoid:

At 64, Dodd falls in the middle of the Senate, where ages range from 42 for U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., to 91 for U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va. Three are in their 80s, 21 in their 70s, 34 in their 60s, 21 in their 50s and nine in their 40s.

Only 9 Senators are in their 40s? What’s the significance? It means that only 9 Senators, have lived in the post industrialized information age economy exclusively. It means that only 9 Senators don’t automatically insert the world new-fangled to describe tweets, blackberry, WIFI, or Tang. It means that GM gets bailed out with tax dollars while IBM’s money losing personal computer division got sold to a Chinese manufacturer.

Back to Dodd:

“He seems to have aged within the last several months,” said Gary Rose, a professor of politics at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield. “His face seems more stressed, and he just seems as if he doesn’t have that youthful appearance many have always associated with him.”

The second paragraph of� a Dodd story, is a professor of politics discussing Dodd’s facial features? It’s farcical!

Richard Hanley, a journalism professor at Quinnipiac, said that Dodd is not alone in feeling the stress of the times, pointing out that President Barack Obama is showing more gray hair just two months into his term.

“The weight of the economic collapse is falling particularly hard on him because he is in a pivotal position in the Senate, but he is not alone. Stories have already been done about the graying of Obama’s hair. It is a stressful time for a lot of people,” Hanley said.

For Dodd, who has had a headful of thick white hair for more than a decade, the stress may be showing in deeper furrows in his brow and darker circles under his eyes.

What no suggestions of botox? Don’t expect Allure to be calling with freelance gigs.

Dodd’s hair was salt and pepper when he was first sworn in to the Senate back on Jan. 5, 1981. It had long since turned fully white by the time he assumed the chairmanship of the Senate Banking Committee on Jan. 4, 2007. He replaced Alabama U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, who remains the ranking Republican on the committee and is 74 years old.

Shortly after taking the committee’s reins, Dodd went on the presidential campaign trail. During that campaign, Dodd changed his hairstyle and seemed to have trimmed his weight. Dodd’s campaign employed a make-up artist on at least three occasions, including spending $225 for makeup application when he officially threw his hat into the ring.

Now what was it that Jon Steward said to Jim Cramer about Cramers penchant for not covering the financial news? Oh yeah, something like — cover the friggin news! Dodd is the chair of that Banking Commitee, which makes news on a daily basis when it doesn’t provide overight and regulations on how tax payer money is being used to bail out all these bansk. Instead:

Shaw, who runs a Web blog (http://bagnewsnotes.typepad.com) that focuses on the political and media use of visual imagery, said the perception may be the result of weight gain.

“He is carrying about 15 more pounds now than when he was running for president back in August and November 2007,” Shaw said. “When you look at recent photos — over the AIG hearings and the craziness of two weeks ago — you are looking at a guy with a lot more gobble under the chin and more skin under the eyes.” As people have focused in on Dodd, that extra weight has left an impression that he is somehow older looking than a year ago, Shaw said. Another factor is the media itself, which typically selects its images to match the story narrative.

What next, a recommendation that Dodd write a diet book on how to lose weight while being stressed over the economy?

source: Advocate, Does Dodd look old? Blame it on Hi-def TV, By Peter Urban , 04/11/2009